CORON — Four years after it welcomed guests to the exclusive Coron Island Resort and Spa, Two Seasons Hotel and Resorts opened its second property in this Palawan town with the 48-room Coron Bayside Hotel, which had its soft opening last December.

This is only the third Two Seasons property since it opened the popular Two Seasons Boracay back in 2006.

Unlike its first two properties, Coron Bayside Hotel isn’t a beach resort but even if it is located along the National Road, sun-worshippers can still get their dose of “vitamin sea.” As soon as guests enter the lobby, they are immediately greeted by a stunning view of Coron Bay and the cliffs of Coron Island.

To further set the mood, the hotel’s interiors follow an underwater theme in keeping to Coron’s reputation as a top scuba diving destination. An old anchor serves as a sculptural art at the center of the lobby, while antique dive helmets are also prominently displayed. Artificial corals with special blue lighting that simulate an underwater scene serve as a soothing backdrop at the front desk.

“The location of the property is very strategic because you can see the main (nautical) highway of Coron Bay,” said resident manager Alvin Ladisla during a recent media tour of the hotel, as he pointed out ships that depart Coron Port for El Nido, Palawan and Mindoro.

Indeed, the property initially served as a staging station for guests going to Two Coron Island Island Resort and Spa. “The owners, however, saw an opportunity for another property and to also cater to a high-end market that would like to stay in Coron town,” he said.

Two Seasons Hotel and Resorts founder and owner John Peñaloza elaborated in a statement: “I later realized the rarity of that type of property and decided to maximize its potential by building the only boutique hotel in town with rooms offering an unobstructed view of Coron Bay.

“It turned out to be a great investment. Coron is fast becoming a new travel destination for weddings and corporate events. Our high-end Two Seasons Island Resort can only be afforded by a few big budgeted companies and with the opening of the Bayside Hotel, we can now offer both properties depending on their budgets,” he added.

Ladisla also pointed out that the two properties address different guest needs, noting that there are those who prefer to stay in town, where they can go to restaurants and bars, after spending the day island-hopping, which is one of the main activities for visitors here.

• READ: 5 must-visit places in Coron, Palawan

“But if you really want to detach yourself from technology, talagang relaxed, then stay sa (Coron) Island (Resort), secluded talaga,” Ladisla said.

Price-wise, the difference between the two properties is significant. Based on information on the group’s website, which is currently offering a 20% discount for bookings until June 30, room rates at the island resort are almost three times higher compared to rates at Coron Bayside. For instance, rates for a seaside bungalow at the island resort starts at P21,599.20++, while a bayview king room at Coron Bayside Hotel goes for P7,439.20++.

But this doesn’t mean Two Seasons Coron Bayside is wanting in luxurious features. Accommodations, which range from standard rooms with street views to the Panorama Suites with full view of Coron Bay, are spacious and well-appointed with flat-screen cable TVs, a DVD player and iPod docking stations.

The Baya restaurant features a large LED television set and special chandeliers that look like jellyfish that changes color.

From the restaurant, one sees the welcoming infinity pool, which overlooks the bay, perfect for watching the Palawan sunsets.

The gym, located at the top-most floor, similarly has views Coron Bay and the hotel also has two function rooms -- which can be combined – for those on working vacations.

“My initial plan was to build the best dive hotel in Palawan," Peñaloza said. "However, during the island resort’s early years of operation, I realized that maintaining dive equipment, boats and hiring of dive masters were too difficult and costly with a minimal revenue. This is also the time I learned the bigger potential of corporate and other group bookings.”

Meanwhile, Peñaloza announced that the fourth Two Seasons property will also be located in Palawan. This time, it will be at the much-talked about municipality of San Vicente, known for its 14 kilometers of largely undeveloped shoreline.

Two Seasons has already purchased a 1.2-hectare lot back in 2014.

“It is too early at this stage to construct anything massive so I am planning to initially build a few wooden huts sometime next year,” Peñaloza said. -- Vladimir Bunoan, ABS-CBN News